Apparatus for printing



Oct 16,1934. c. CHISHOLM I 1,976,714

APPARATUS FOR PRI NTING Filed July 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l A A 4 p 4 A w I I dam Oct. 16,1934. c. CIHISHOLM 1,976,714

APPARATUS FOR rnm'rme Filed July 25, 1930 4.Sheecs-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIIIIII Oct. 16, 1934. I 4 c. CHISHOLM 1,976,714

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING Filed July 25 1930 I 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3

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APPARATUS FOR PRINTING Filed July 35, 1950 4 Shee tsSh eet 4 A an ,1 n 3 ur Jun A! an! I G. 6 run: mu nun; v rel-A MI I Y Patented I6, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,976,714 APPARATUS Foa Pam'rnw Clifton Chisholm, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Multigraph Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 25, 1930, Serial No. 470,567

Claims. (01. 101-142) This invention relates to lithographic printing effected by individual line lithographic printing members grouped in a form. These lithographic members are made of suitable metallic strips provided with a proper surface to receive lithographic images and subsequent treatment, such strips being suitably held in a'form, preferably on a rotary printing machine, which operates to print therefrom either by direct or offset printing, as

19 desired.

-One of the objects of the invention is to provide simple and convenient means for enabling any line of type matter in a lithographic form to be removed and another substituted, whereby changes may be made from time to time as, de-

sired without discarding useful portions of the.

form. My system is well adapted, for instance, for printing telephone directories, where it is necessary to make frequent changes in the listings as new subscribers are added, or old ones discontinued, but where the bulk of the list remains the same.

To the above end, I provide comparatively thin metal strips having a surface suitably grained or equivalently formed to receive greasy images and ink-resisting etch, as is usual in lithography. These strips have means whereby they may be held in the form. I may make a plate of the proper material, treat it and thereafter slit it ,into strips, or I may cut the strips previously, and thereafter treat them. The strips may be made somewhat longer than the printing line thereon, and the end portions of the strips relied on to hold them in place, or the strips may be provided with flanged edges adapted to project beneath overhanging projections on a suitable support.

If the strips are intended to be held on the form merely at their ends, I prefer to give them a sufliciently stiff body by making them of composite material as for instance a base portion of steel or brass, and a printing'portion of zincgor aluminum. In this case I may apply the surface material to the base metal by electroplating it thereon, and, in such case, I propose to use such current in plating that the metal deposited will be sufficiently porous to have the surface equivalent to a grained surface thus avoiding the ne-' cessity of a mechanical graining. The treated plates, or the strips out therefrom, are preferably given a slight camber so that when the strips are inserted into a suitable galley and held at their ends, they will have a tendency to press down against the intermediate portion of the galley surface and hold themselves in place. When the printing strip is intended to be flanged on its edges and mounted on a separate retaining member, I may make the printing strip of considerably less thickness, and in such case I prefer to make it from a unitary sheet of a I single metal having a properly grained surface. By giving a proper camber to a stiifer supporting strip carrying such lithographic strip, I- may make a cambered composite member which is suitable for mounting in a galley which has ledges overhanging the ends of the strip.

When printing strips of composite metal are employed and mounted on a galley having ledges overhanging the ends of the strips, they naturally provide a form at a less height-to-paper than the ledges themselves. Therefore, to prevent the ledges from marring the paper, I use an ofl'set printing-machine wherein the transfer roller is circumferentially recessed to receive the ledges. I prefer in this offset process to recess correspondingly the form rollerof the inking device so that the ledges will not be inked. In this'manner I can build up a form of lithographic strips which lie materially below their holding members, and at the same time print from the form on a continuous sheet of paper extending across the holding members.

My invention includes the various features above noted. The invention is hereinafter more fully explained in connection with the drawings, which illustrate the various portions of apparatus which may be employed, as well as printing members and product. The essential novel features aresummarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is aface view of a sheet of base metal which may be electroplated; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of an electroplating bath for such metal; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a suitably grained plate, accomplished by the electroplated bath or in any other manner desired; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section through the composite metal of Fig. 3 as indicated by the line 4-4 on that figure; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face view of the same plate after-the printing image has been applied thereto; Fig. 6 is a cross section of the image-carrying plate of Fig. 5, as indicated by the line 66 on Fig. 5; Fig. '1 is a diagrammatic perspective illustrating the plate of Fig. 5, being sawed into strips; Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the strips produced by the sawing action illustrated in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a plan of a flexible galley, carrying printing forms made up of the individual strips; Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross section through the galley as indicated by the line 10-10 on Fig. 9; Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are cross sections on a still larger scale of various parts of the galley and form, as indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 9; Fig. 14 is a vertical section through an offset rotary printing machine equipped with a flexible galley having a form of my individual members; Fig. 15 is a section of the ofiset printing machine on radial planes indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 14; Fig. 16 is a view of the product printed by my form; Fig. 17 is a fragmentary view of a plate somewhat lighter than the composite plateof Fig. 5, and carrying printing lines adapted to be formed into flanged strips; Fig. 18 is a view of one of the strips severed from the plate of Fig. 1'1, before being flanged; Fig. 19 is a cross section of the strip of Fig. 18, as indicated by the line 19-19 on Fig. 18; Fig. 20 is a perspective of such printing strip after the edges have been flanged inwardly; Fig. 21 is a perspective of a metal supporting strip having a row of upwardly projecting overhanging projections adapted to carry the printing strip of Fig. 20; Fig. 22 is a perspective of' a composite printing member formed by mounting the printed strip of Fig. 20 on the supporting strip of Fig. 21; Fig. 23 is a transverse section of the composite member shown in Fig. 22, as indicated by the line 22-23 on that figure; Fig. 24 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one of the composite members shown in Fig. 22 mounted in place in the flexible galley.

Fig. 1 illustrates a rectangular sheet of metal A, which may be of steel or spring brass or other material and forms the base for my composite sheet. Fig. 2 illustrates at B an electroplating vat carrying the sheet A, and a suitable electrode C of metal to be deposited on the sheet A. Fig. 3 indicates at A the base sheet and at D the electroplated material thereon. This material -may be electroplated in any usual manner, and

thereafter the sheet suitably mechanically grained by the employment of marbles and pumice stone in the usual manner; but I prefer to so regulate the current used in theelectroplating that the deposit D will have a porosity equivalent to a properly grained surface, thus avoiding the necessity of subsequent graining. Fig. 4 indicated the composite sheet with a proper porous facing D on the base A.' I now take the composite metal sheet of Figs. 3 and 4 and etch it by any of the well known processes used in lithography, and form on the plate suitable printing images in separate lines. These images will usually be type lines. They may be formed photographically or by transferring, or by typing directly on the plate, as is usual in lithography. If the metal members are intended for offset printing, the characters will appear readingwise, as shown in Fig. 5, while for direct printing, they will be reversed. 7

After the treated plate has been provided with the columns of listings on it or other suitable matter to be divided into individual lines, or before the images are placed thereon, if desired, the plate is slightly concaved on the printing face to give it the form shown-in Fig. 6'. Nwfif this plate is slitted transversely between the successive lines thereon, there will be produced cambered printing strips. Fig. '7 illustrates this plate, and shows at E a suitable slitting saw which is adapted to produce the strips F, shown on a larger scale in Fig. 8. The sheet, it will be understood, is slightly wider than the actual lengthof the lines to be printed, so that the strips will have end projections beyond the printing matter.

Thus the strips may be held at their ends in a suitable galley.

For retaining the strips grouped into a form, I may employ for instance, the flexible galley shown, described and claimed in application 445,501, filed April 18th, 1930 by myself and Peter M. Colquhoun. Such galley is illustrated herein in Figs. 9-13. As there shown, 1 indicates a suitable plate'of metal on which is carried parallel overhanging. slats indicated at 2 and 3. Each slat is spaced above the plate 1 by a suitable flller 4, so that there is space provided between the slat and and the base. The edgeslat 2 is shown as overhanging only inwardly, whereas the intermediate slat 3 overhangs in both directions as shown in Fig. 9.

The galley described furnishes a suitable device for holding a group of the strips F. These strips are placed in position diagonally, as shown in F in Fig. 9 after which the strip is swung into the position at right angles to the slats 2 and 3, and then compacted against other strips F in the galley. The top strip may lie against a suitable transverse stop 5 on the galley and the opposite end of the column may be held by a suitable follower 6, which may have tongues '1 at its ends embracing the overhanging edges of the slats. A suitable hand tool 8 may be used to engage holes 9 in the follower-when it is desired to separate the form. By means of this hand tool the follower may be drawn down into the position shown in the left hand portion of Fig. 9, and the form separated at any desired point and any particular line at that place removed by being v just described on a rotary printing drum, and

for that reason the retaining slats are to some extent slidable lengthwise of the galley, which enables its convenient flexing.- This sliding anchorage may be effected by providing tongues 10 of the plate 1 which enter slots 11 of the slats. This is explained more fully in the application of myself and Mr. Colquhoun mentioned. To mount the flexible galley on a printing drum it may be provided with inwardly hooked ends as shown at 15 in Fig. 11.

In Figs. 14 and 15, I have illustrated an offset printing press, which may be employed in my printing process. As there shown, 20 indicates a suitable segment -mounted on a rotary drum (indicated by the circle 21) and held by a spring hook 22 embracing the drum shaft 23. On the surface of this segment isheld the flexible galley 1 carrying the printing strips F with their ends beneath the retaining. ledges. This flexible galley may have one hooked end 15 occupying a groove in one end of the segment, while the other hooked end may engage a movable bar 25 carried by arms 26 embracing the shaft 23, and having screws 2'7 passing through the bar and hear- .ing against the adjacent end of the segment. In

tween the transfer roller and platen. The form is inked in suitable manner, as by means of the form roll 40 receiving ink from a suitable ductor roll 45, which travels between the form roll and the fountain roll 46 in a fountain 47.

When this offset press is employed, I form peripheral recesses in the transfer roller opposite the raised slats of theflexible galley; that is to' say, reduced portions 32 opposite the slats 2 and a groove 33 opposite the slat 3. In the same way, I form recesses on the form roll comprising end reductions 43 and an intermediate groove or grooves, 43. It thus results that the remaining members of the flexible form are not inked nor do they impress the paper. Accordingly, a continuous sheet P may be fed between the transfer roller and the platen, and printed by the different columns of members F in the form to produce spaced columns, as indicated by the two columns P and P on a sheet of paper P in Fig. 16.

I have heretofore mentioned that in place of using the comparatively stiff electroplated or other metal members held only at their ends, I may employ lithographic strips having flanged edges. Such embodiment of invention is illustrated in Figs. 17-24, and in this embodiment, the

strips, are shown as designed for direct printing. When carrying out the process in this manner, I form a thin sheet J of suitably grained metal, and I print or otherwise form on it lines of characters indicated at ;i. These lines, if the direct printing is required, will be reversed, as shown in Fig. 17. The lines are also more than normal distance apart as shown in that figure.

After the images are formed on such a plate J and properly treated, the plate may be slitted to produce the fiat-strips K of Figs. 18 and 19. These strips K are then flanged inwardly at their edges, producing the printing member L of Fig. 20 having the flanged edges 1 which extend diagonally toward each other. M, in Figure 21, indicates a suitable supporting strip made in accordance with my application 445,499, filed April 18th, 1930. This supporting strip has a row of raised buttons 11:. connected by intermediate corrugations ml, the edges of the buttons being out free from the metal of the strip and bent up in a position parallel to the base of the strip to present overhanging lips as shown in Fig. 23. The lithograph strip L is then slid endwise into place on the supporting strip.

The supporting strip M preferably has a camber, as shown in Fig. 21, and when the printing strip is mounted on it the printing strip partakes to a certam extent of this camber, as shown in Fig. 22. The composite member of this flgure has the end portions of the base extending beyond the printing strip, and this furnishes convenient means for mounting the composite member in the flexible galley, as shown in Fig. 24, the end portions m2 of the base extending beneath the galley ledge 2.

When the lithograph members are provided with edge flanges and mounted on bases,.as shown in Figs. 17-24, the printing surface extends higher than the galley slats, and accordingly this form is well adapted for direct printing, as neither in Figs. 17-24, I prefer to make a whole plate -of printing images, and thereafter slit it, but, if

desired, the slitting may be effected first and the images applied to the strips individually, or the individual strips grouped into a suitable holder and a page of images applied. In any case I have provided by my method a group of individual lithographic printing lines adapted for mounting in a compact form ready for printing, and adapted also for ready separation for removal of discarded lines or insertion of fresh-lines.

The ready changeability of the lithographic form inherent in my system is particularly valuable where lists are to be printed which it is desired to be kept up to date. An illustration of such a case is a telephone directory, either the public directory or the internal directory used by the telephone company. It is understood, however, that 'the invention is not limited to such a directory, and it may be well employed in printing various price lists, dividend check lists, inventory lists, mailing lists, and in fact for all sorts of lists where it is desired to intersperse new items among existing items, or to discard obsolete items- I claim:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising a series of 105 individual printing members, a suitable holder in which said members are assembled and which has a retaining member projecting beyond the face of the printing members, a plate-roller adapted to carry said holder, a transfer roller with a peripheral recess registering with the retaining member, and a platen coacting with the transfer roller. I

2. The means for printing, comprising printing strips of low height mounted in a suitable holder and retained by means which overhang the ends of the strips, and an offset press having peripheral recesses in the transfer roller registering with the projecting portions of the holder.

3. The means for printing, comprising a group of individual printing lines collected into a holder which has retaining devices overhanging the ends of the lines and projecting beyond the surface thereof, a printing machine in which such holder is mounted, and means for inking the form in the holder by a form roller which has peripheral recesses corresponding to the projecting retaining devices.

4. A printing apparatus, comprising the combination of a rotary drum, a flexible galley on the drum, and individual planographic printing strips mounted on the galley and held thereto at their ends.

5. A printing apparatus, comprising, in combination, a rotary drum, a flexible galley on the drum, individual base strips held attheir ends on the galley, and individual planographic printing strips surmounting the base strips and held thereon by flanged edges of the printing strips.

CLIFTON CHISHOLM. 

